Newspaper vending apparatus



y 1962 LEE 5. WATLINGTON 3,042,250

NEWSPAPER VENDING APPARATUS Filed NOV. 17, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. LEE 5'. WATL/N 701v .1115 ATTOKIVEKi July 3, 1962 LEE 5. WATLINGTON 3,042,250

NEWSPAPER VENDING APPARATUS Filed NOV. 17, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 JNVENTOR.

July 1962 LEE 8. WATLINGTON 3,042,250

NEWSPAPER VENDING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 17, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 77 bilk-3L. 75 73 I IN VEN TOR. 4 A

LEE 5. M flnm/erm/ BY WXM July 3, 1962 LEE 5. WATLINGTON 3,042,250

NEWSPAPER VENDING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 17, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 1 3g. INVENTOR.

United States Patent fiice 3,042,250 Patented July 3, 1962 3,042,250 NEWSPAPER VENDING APPARATUS Lee S. Watlington, 1204 N. Linden, Bloomington, Ill. Filed Nov. 17, 1960, Ser. No. 69,989 6 Claims. (Cl. 221-41) My invention relates to a new and useful improvement in a vending apparatus and more particularly to that type of vending apparatus which will successively vend from a vertical stack a single newspaper or the like.

An object of my invention is in the provision in an apparatus of this character of a manually operated means for dispensing through a delivery chute a single newspaper or the like.

Another object of my invention is in the provision in an apparatus of this character of a means for progressively presenting one article of a stack of articles into a dispensing position.

A further object of my invention is in the provision in an apparatus of this character of a means for maintaining a delivery slot closed until an article is vended therethrough.

Yet another object of my invention is in the provision in an apparatus of this character of a means for preventing operation thereof when the supply of articles to be vended has been exhausted.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings showing the preferred form of construction, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of my improved vending apparatus;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the inner mechanism of my vending apparatus;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the inner mechanism of my apparatus;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view similar to FIG. 3 but showing the mechanism in an actuated position;

FIG. 5 is a detailed sectional view taken on line 55 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary elevational view showing in dotted lines a portion of my invention; and

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary schematic view showing the method of indicating that the supply of articles to be vended from the apparatus is exhausted.

The apparatus of my invention is adapted to be housed in a cabinet 10, providing a front panel 11, hinged as at 12 to a portion of a partial front Wall 13. The front panel 11 is provided with a glass portion 14 through which a current issue of a newspaper may be viewed.

As it is contemplated that my vending apparatus be coin controlled, I provide in the partial front wall 13 acoin slot 15. Adjacent this coin slot 15 is a slot 16 through which is visible an indicator for noticing the empty condition of the apparatus when such condition exists.

The inner mechanism of my apparatus comprises a box-like structure having a bottom plate 17, side walls 18 and 19, arear wall 20 and a top wall 21. Adjacent the top of each of the side walls 18 and 19 and mounted exterior thereof are rail members 22.

Mounted for horizontal movement over the rail members 22 are the opposite ends of legs 23 and 24 of a U-shaped bridge-like structure 25. Each leg 23 and 24 has rotatably mounted thereon a plurality of wheels 26 which are adapted to be in contact with the railmembers 22 for movement thereover as seen in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4.

Journalled between the legs 23 and 24 beneath the middle plate 26 of the bridge-like structure 25 is a shaft 27. This shaft 27 has its opposite ends projected through corresponding slots 28 formed in the legs 23 and 24, and extends between spaced apart flange members 29 and 30 mounted on the legs 23 .and 24 to either side of the slots 28 as seen in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4.

Channel-shaped brackets 31 are mounted on the shaft 27 and have their opposite arms adapted to override the flange members 29 and 30 so as to provide therewith a slidable connection. Set screws 32 or the like are threaded into the shaft 27 exteriorly of the brackets 31 and hold the same on each end thereof and in slidable contact with the flange members 29 and 30.

Mounted on the shaft 27 are a pair of dispensing fingers 33. These fingers extend into the interior of the boxlike structure through elongated slots 34 formed in the top wall 21 thereof, (FIG. 2). These fingers 33 are each provided with penetrating points 35 for engaging and moving the top most paper to be vended into the delivery chute. These fingers 3-3 as well as the bridge-like structure 25 and rail members 22 make up the dispenser means of this invention.

Referring to FIG. 3 I show the dispensing means in its normal inoperative position. Carried by the side wall 19 is the actuating mechanism for moving the dispensing means through its desired operation.

This actuating mechanism includes a vertically disposed horizontally extending track 36 mounted on the exterior face of the side wall 19. A vertically extending moving plate 37 is provided with Wheel elements 38 which are adapted to be in contact with the track 36 in a manner permitting the horizontal movement of the moving plate 37 over the track 36 in spaced relation to the side wall 19.

The moving plate 37 is provided with a laterally extending block 39 through which extends a rod 40 of an actuating handle 41. This rod 40 is connected to the block 39 in a manner shown in FIG. 6. The block 39 has a spring-urged V-shaped detent 42 carried thereon. This detent 42 will engage a corresponding V-shaped notch 42 formed in the underside of the rod 40 and connecting the same thereto. By this arrangement I have provided a yieldable connection between the actuating handle and the actuating mechanism of my apparatus. If the rod 40 through the handle 41 is subject to excess stress or compression by vandals or the like attempting to illegally operate the apparatus the rod 40 will become disconnected from the block 39 and the moving plate 37 without damage to the remaining structure of the apparatus.

As seen in FIG. 3 moving plate 37 is at rest against a stop 43. This stop 43 prevents continued horizontal movement of the plate 37 in the direction of the rear wall The moving plate 37 is connected to the leg 24 of the dispensing means by a toggle lever arrangement. This toggle lever arrangement consists of a center lever 44 pivotally connected as at 45 to the stop 43. One end of the lever 44 is pivotally connected to a link 46 which in turn is pivotally connected as at 47 to the leg 24. The opposite end of the center lever 44 is pivotally connected to a :bottom link 48 by means of a nut and bolt 49 slidably journalled in an elongated slot 50 formed in the link 48. The bottom link 48 is in turn pivotally connected as at 51 to the moving plate 47. The moving plate 47 is adapted to be operatively connected to a coin controlled releasing mechanism through a link 52. The connection between the link 52 and the releasing mechanism and the operation of the latter makes up no part of this invention and such construction, operation and function are well known in the art.

Within the box-like structure of the inner mechanism of my apparatus I provide a storing platform 53. This platform 53 is provided with depending side flanges 54. The side flanges 54 are provided at each corner thereof with wheels 55. The front wheels 55 are adapted to ride in a groove 56 provided by the vertical edges of the side walls 18 and 19. The rear wheels 55 are adapted to ride in a groove track 57 attached to the inner faces of the side walls 18 and 19 as viewed in FIGS. 2 and 5. To assure a uniform vertical movement of the platform 53 through the box-like structure of the inner mechanism of my invention I provide a pair of ratchet wheels 58 mounted on the ends of a shaft 59 which are journalled through the depending flanges 54 of the platform 53. These ratchet wheels 58 are adapted to engage oppositely disposed vertically extending rack bars 68 carried by the inner faces of the side walls 18 and 19 between the grooved track members 56 and 57 as viewed in FIGS. 2 and 5.

Disposed between the underside of the platform 53 and the bottom plate 17 is a coil spring 61. The coil spring 61 is adapted to move the platform vertically between the side walls 18 and 19 and thus continuously move a stack of newspapers or the like which are placed on the platform 53 into a position where the uppermost newspaper will be engaged by the dispensing fingers 33 as viewed in FIG. 5.

As viewed in FIG. the front panel 11 has its top edge spaced from a portion 62 of the partial front wall 13 of the cabinet 10. This space 63 constitutes the delivery slot through which an article to be vended is caused to ass. p It should also be noted that the front panel 11 provides an inclined surface 64 which is in the path of movement of the articles as they are dispensed by the dispensing mechanism. The dispensing mechanism causes the article to be dispensed to engage and move up and over the inclined surface 64 as the article is dispensed.

By this invention I provide a means for closing the delivery slot 63 when an article is not being dispensed therethrough. This means comprises a tray-like closure structure 65. This tray-like structure is pivotally mounted as at 66 to a portion of the top wall 21. This closure provides a tapered surface 67 corresponding to the tapered surface 64 of the front panel 11 as seen in FIG. 5. The front wall 68 of the tray-like structure 65 is of a sufficient size to close the delivery slot 63. The closure is prevented from being raised by a depending finger 69 pivotally carried by a projecting arm 70 attached to the top plate 26' of the bridge-like structure 25.

Referring to FIG. 5 I show an arrangement of parts for indicating whether or not the vending apparatus of this invention has a supply of articles therein to be vended.

Attached to the inner face of the rear wall 71 of the cabinet is a mounting bracket 72. This bracket 72 provides depending ears 73. A trip lever 74 is pivotally connected as at 75 to the ears 73 of the mounting bracket 72. One end 76 of the trip lever 74 has fixedly connected thereto a flexible cable 77. This flexible cable 77 is adapted to be housed in a tubing 78 which is connected to an L-shaped bracket 79 mounted on the top wall of the bracket 72. The tubing 78 is adapted to pass within the cabinet 10 to the partial front Wall 13 thereof.

Referring to FIG. 7 I schematically show the trip lever 74, the flexible cable 77, the tubing 78 and a fragment of the partial front wall 13. On the inner face of the front wall 13 there are mounted spaced apart guide members 80. A plate 81 is slidably mounted therebet-ween. This plate 81 is provided with a slot 82 which under certain circumstances will be in open communication with the coin slot formed in the front wall 13. The flexible cable 77 is attached to one side of the plate 81 as at 83. The other side of the plate 81 has connected thereto as at 84 one end of a spring 85. The other end of the 4 spring 85 is fixedly connected to a pin 86 carried by the wall 13.

In the schematic drawing of FIG. 7 I show fragment-arily a stack of newspapers 87 which would normally be carried upon the platform 53. The top most paper 87 has engaged the trip lever 74 and pivoted it in an anti-clockwise direction about its pivot-a1 connection 75. This pivotal movement of the lever 74 has pulled the flexible cable 77 through the tubing 78 and has caused the plate 81 to be placed in the condition shown in FIG. 7 wherein the slot 82 is in open communication with the coin slot 15. This movement of the plate 81 into the position shown in FIG. 7 is against the action of the spring 85. In the event that the supply of newspapers 87 within the cabinet 18 is exhausted the trip lever 74 by reason of its weighted end 88 will pivot by the force of gravity in a clockwise direction about its pivotal connection 75. The action of the spring 85 will cause the plate 81 to move to the left as viewed in FIG. 7 so as to place the slot 82 formed therein out of communication with the coin slot 15. Such movement of the plate 81 will move the word Empty as carried by the plate 81 into a position to be viewed through slot 16. By this simple arrangement 1 have provided a means of preventing the deposit of a coin in the apparatus when its supply of articles to be vended has become exhausted.

The operation of my vending apparatus is as follows: To load the apparatus the serviceman will depress the platform 53 against the action of the coil spring 61. He will do this through a U-shaped handle 89 which has its oppositely disposed arms pivotally journalled as at 90 and 91 in the side walls 18 and 19 respectively. The arms of the handle 89 extend over rollers 92 carried between parallelly extending ears 93 of a front plate 94 provided by the depending flanges 54 of the platform 53. The handle 89 together with the platform 53 is held in its retracted position by a latch 95 pivotally connected as at 96 to mounting brackets 97 carried by the bottom plate 17.

A stack of newspapers 87 or the like will then be placed on the platform 53 and the handle 89 is then released. The coil spring 61 will raise the platform 53 together with the newspapers 87 thereon to a point where the topmost paper will engage the dispensing fingers 33 of the dispensing mechanism and the trip lever 74 of the indicating means.

This may all be done through the hinged front panel 11. The apparatus is now ready to vend a newspaper or the like.

A purchaser will deposit in the coin slot 15 the proper coins and will then pull the actuating handle 41. The handle 41 through the rod 40 will cause the moving plate 37 to move forward on the tracks 36 from the position shown in FIG. 3 to that position shown in FIG. 4. The movement of the moving plate 37 through the toggle lever arrangement will cause the dispensing means comprising the bridge-like structure 25 to move rearwardly over the rail members 22 from the position shown in FIG. 3 to that shown in FIG. 4. The legs 23 and 24 will engage stop members 98 mounted on the walls 18 and 19 at the rear end of the rail members 22. These stop members 98 will prevent further movement of the dispensing mechanism. The fingers 33 carried by the legs 23 and 24 will be caused to move rearwardly over the uppermost newspaper. The purchaser will then push the handle 41 into its original position as seen in FIG. 1 causing a reversal movement of the parts just described. As the bridge-like structure 25 is caused to move to its original position as shown in FIG. 3 the penetrating points 35 of the dispensing fingers 33 will have caused the uppermost newspaper to be moved forward into engagement with the inclined surface 64 of the front panel 11 and the tapered surface 67 of the closure tray 65. It should be noted that as the dispensing mechanism was moved into the position shown in FIG. 4 the depending finger 69 carried by the arm 70 was moved out of engagement with the tray closure 65. This permitted the newspaper that was being dispensed to pivot the same so as to open the delivery slot 63 through which the newspaper was to be dispensed. In the event that the second newspaper of the stack of newspapers 87 should adhere to the uppermost newspaper as it is being vended the tapered surface 64 will prevent such second paper from being dispensed with the first or topmost newspaper. It has been found that the tapered surface 64 will restrict further movement of the second newspaper through the delivery slot 63.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modification without departing from the spirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A newspaper vending machine comprising (a) a housing, the front wall of which is provided with a delivery opening,

(b) a downwardly inclined delivery chute extending from said delivery opening inwardly of said housing,

(c) a box-like structure positioned interiorly of said housing and having an open front facing the front wall of said housing,

(a) a horizontally extending movable platform within said box-like structure for supporting a vertical stack of horizontally disposed newspapers,

(e) means for successively moving in a vertical direction through said box-like structure said platform and the stacked newspapers as they are successively vended from. said housing,

(1) said means including a spring in said box-like structure and beneath said platform and adapted to move the same vertically therethrough,

(g) a substantially inverted U-shaped carriage supported by said box-like structure adapted to be reciprocally moved transversely thereover, through a horizontal plane,

(h) means movably connecting the free arms of said inverted U-shaped carriage to the opposite side walls of said box-like structure adjacent the top wall thereof,

(i) said carriage pivotally supporting vending fingers freely projectable through slots formed in the top wall of said box-like structure and adapted to be freely moved transversely over the uppermost paper in one direction,

(j) said fingers having penetrating points carried by the free end thereof for engaging the uppermost paper when said fingers are moved in an opposite transverse direction with respect thereto so as to move the uppermost paper on to said delivery chute and out of said delivery opening,

(k) actuating means for moving said carriage reciprocally over said box-like structure,

(I) said actuating means having one end connected to said carriage and the opposite end extending exteriorly of said housing, with said opposite end manually movable through a horizontal plane in a first direction away from said front wall of said housing and in a second direction toward said front wall,

(m) means connecting said one end of said actuating means to said carriage for moving said carriage rearwardly over said box-like structure in an opposite direction to the first direction of movement of said actuating means, and in a forward direction over said box-like structure reversely to the second direction of movement of said actuating means so as to vend a paper through said delivery means,

(n) means for guiding said connecting means through a horizontal plane during movement of said actuating means,

(0) means for guiding said carriage reciprocally for movement through a horizontal plane over said boxlike structure,

(p) a closure pivotally carried by the top wall of said box-like structure for normally closing said delivery opening,

(q) locking means pivotally carried by said carriage and normally in contact with said closure for preventing pivotal movement thereof in one direction out of said delivery opening,

(r) said locking means pivotally connected to said carriage so as to be moved therewith out of contact with said closure so the latter may be pivoted out of said delivery opening by the paper being vended,

(s) said locking means pivotally held out of locking position by said closure when said closure is pivoted out of closing position during the vending of a newspaper therethrough.

2. A newspaper vending machine as defined by claim 1 wherein the means for guiding said connecting means that connect said actuating means to said carriage and the means for guiding reciprocal movement of said carriage relative to said box-like structure comprise track members.

3. A newspaper vending machine as defined by claim 1 wherein the means connecting said one end of said actuating means to said carriage comprise a toggle-like linkage and connecting plate.

4. A newspaper vending machine as defined by claim 1 wherein said locking means pivotally carried by said carriage and normally in contact with said closure comprises a locking pin pivotable in one direction with respect to said carriage.

5. A newspaper vending machine as defined by claim 1 wherein the means movably connecting the free ends of said carriage to the opposite side walls of said box-like structure comprise rollers movable over track members provided by said box-like structure.

6. A newspaper vending machine comprising (a) a housing, the front wall of which is provided with a delivery opening,

(b) a downwardly inclined delivery chute extending from said delivery opening inwardly of said housing,

(0) a box-like structure positioned interiorly of said housing and having an open front facing the front wall of said housing,

(d) a horizontally extending movable platform within said box-like structure for supporting a vertical stack of horizontally disposed newspapers,

(2) means for successively moving in a. vertical direction through said box-like structure said platform and the stacked newspapers as they are successively vended from said housing,

(f) said means including a spring in said box-like structure and beneath said platform and adapted to move the same vertically therethrough,

(g) a substantially inverted U-shaped carriage supported by said box-like structure adapted to be reciprocally moved transversely thereover, through a horizontal plane,

(h) roller members carried by the free arms of said carriage and movable over tracks for connecting and guiding said carriage to said box-like structure adjacent the top wall thereof,

(i) said carriage pivotally supporting vending fingers freely projectable through slots formed in the top wall of said box-like structure and adapted to be freely moved transversely over the uppermost paper in one direction,

(i) said fingers having penetrating points carried by the free end thereof for engaging the uppermost paper when said fingers are moved in an opposite transverse direction with respect thereto so as to move the uppermost paper on to said delivery chute and out of said delivery opening,

(k) actuating means for moving said carriage reciprocally over said box-like structure,

(I) said actuating means having one end connected to said carriage and the opposite end extending exteriorly of said housing, with said opposite end manually movable through a horizontal plane in a first direction away from said front wall of said housing and in second direction toward said front wall,

(m) toggle-like linkage connecting said one end of said actuating means to said carriage for moving said carriage rearwardly over said box-like structure in an opposite direction to the first direction of movement of said actuating means, and in a forward direction over said box-like structure reversely to the second direction of movement of said actuating means so as to vend a paper through said delivery opening,

(n) track members for guiding said connecting means through a horizontal plane during movement of said actuating means,

(0) track members for guiding said carriage reciprocally for movement through a horizontal plane over said box-like structure,

(p) a closure pivotally carried by the top wall of said box-like structure for normally closing said delivery opening,

(q) a locking pin pivotally carried by said carriage and normally in contact with said closure for preventing pivotal movement thereof in one direction out of said delivery opening,

(r) said locking pin pivotally connected to said carriage so as to be moved therewith out of contact with said closure so the latter may be pivoted out of said delivery opening by the paper being vended,

(s) said locking pin pivotally held out of locking position by said closure when said closure is pivoted out of closing position during the vending of a newspaper therethrough.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

